Remember that lovely random fact from yesterday about science history? Today's science factoids are linked by birthdays: Happy Birthday Maria Goeppert Mayer and fluorine gas (technically, fluorine wasn't born but it was discovered today).
Maria Goeppert Mayer was the second woman to win a Nobel Prize in Physics (the first was Marie Curie) for her discovery of how protons and neutrons arrange themselves in a nucleus. For the less science nerdy, she figured out how so many positive charges could "mingle" in a small, dense part of an atom (we all know opposite charges attract while similar charges repel). To read more about her, you can read the super patronizing Nobel Prize biography or consult the ever reliable Wikipedia.
If you'd like to read more about women in the sciences, check out this New York Times article. I've been holding onto this gem for awhile now, but it's worth the read. The article talks to women at the top about the differences between men and women when it comes to their respective fields.
Fun Fact: An alloy of scandium and aluminum is commonly found in high-end bicycle frames, as it adds strength without adding weight.
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